Cliff's Notes on Amateur Radio

In this episode of the POTA Hunter Series , I sit down with Jeff Franklin, N3FMC (“Ford Motor Company”) , a familiar voice that many Parks on the Air activators recognize instantly. Jeff shares the story of how his fascination with radio began in early childhood after seeing his father’s pager and wondering how wireless communication worked. That curiosity quickly turned into experimentation with...

It’s been a while since I last released an episode of Cliff’s Notes on Amateur Radio , and in this episode, I share exactly why that is, what’s been happening in my world, and what finally brought me back behind the microphone. Over the past several months, amateur radio took a back seat. Work was intense, winter was cold, and my focus was deeply anchored in other creative and professional commitm...

In my series called POTA Hunters , I sit down with the voices I hear in nearly every activation to get to know the people behind those familiar call signs. In this second episode, we meet Kevin “KEGMan” Giebel (W0KEG) , one of the most dedicated and enthusiastic hunters in the Parks on the Air community. Though Kevin has only been licensed for about a year and a half, his passion and presence on t...

This episode contains my first conversation in a new series called POTA Hunters , where I sit down with the voices I hear in nearly every activation to get to know the people behind those familiar call signs. Today, we meet AL7KC Mike Sambuco . When I first got into Parks on the Air (POTA), I quickly noticed the awards page, especially the one for hunting all U.S. states. Because I was doing frequ...

My Ambitious POTA Goal: Activate 25 Parks in Two Days (THIS WEEKEND!) Since earning my General License in September 2024, I’ve completely fallen in love with Parks On The Air (POTA). One of the goals I set for myself early on was to activate every park in my home state of Kentucky, which has 183 recognized eligible POTA parks. To track my progress, I exported the full Kentucky park database and cr...

In this short episode, I’m bringing you behind the scenes and sharing two ideas that have been on my mind for Cliff’s Notes on Amateur Radio . I’m genuinely looking for your feedback to decide which of these ideas (maybe both!) I should move forward with. Idea #2: “Pota Hunters” Series The first idea is something I’m calling “POTA Hunters.” As you probably know, I’ve been incredibly active with Pa...

This episode was inspired by a QSO with Ron Rowe, W2ELS. If you’d like to hear another episode of this podcast, there’s only one way to make it happen: hunt me down in the park, mention the show, and request a new one! In this session, I share highlights from my recent Parks on the Air adventures and a few lessons learned along the way: Taking First Place at Decker WMA: The thrill of running pileu...

In this episode, I sit down with no script, just a heart full of gratitude for this hobby that has become such a meaningful part of my life. It’s been about six weeks since the last episode, and a lot has happened since then. Here’s what I cover: The QSO That Sparked This Episode A parks-on-the-air activation at my favorite spot, Decker Wildlife Management Area, led to a surprise moment: someone o...

In this episode, I share the reason I've been "radio silent" since December as it relates to this podcast. I launched this podcast on August 24th, publishing 12 podcast episodes within 17 weeks, but then stopped publishing until now, almost 7 months later. I've received many emails from folks asking about the absence of new episodes. So I decided to record this episode to explain the hiatus since...

In this episode of Cliff’s Notes on Amateur Radio , I sit down with Jim Newcomb, the founder of Lido Radio Products, to explore his incredible journey through the world of Amateur Radio and entrepreneurship. From his unexpected start at Icom America to creating one of the most trusted names in mobile radio mounting solutions, Jim shares behind-the-scenes insights, fascinating stories, and valuable...

In this episode, I continue sharing my initial amateur radio gear purchases after selling my 1974 Classic Volkswagen Beetle, which provided me with a $9,000 budget for the hobby. Radio Purchases ICOM 7300 - For Home Base Station - Amazon Link Yaesu FT-891 - For Mobile / Portable Use - Amazon Link Yaesu YSK-891 Separation Kit for FT-891 - Amazon Link Lido heavy Duty Cup Holder - Direct Link Antenna...

In this episode, I share my Amateur Radio journey over the past three and a half weeks since my first Parks On The Air activation in episode 9. I share why I've been "radio silent" when it comes to new podcast episodes for this show during this same period of time. I quickly mentioned TCRS Episode 731 and TrainWithCliff.com . I've become quite obsessed with Parks On The Air, operating HF portably,...

I'm deeply grateful for the incredible gift Mark Volstad ( AI4BJ ) gave me today. Mark reached out midweek, offering to assist with my first official POTA Park Activation using his own gear. This episode captures the excitement of this milestone in my amateur radio journey. This episode is lengthy and includes all 102 QSOs made during my first POTA Park activation. For a deeper understanding of Pa...

My First Solo Adventures with HF Radio In this episode, I share my first solo adventures with HF radio, with the help of many different people who have made that possible for me. Selling the Volkswagen Beetle In the previous episode, I mentioned that I had a strategy for coming up with a budget for my amateur radio hobby. I knew I would want to make some purchases, so I decided to put my 1974 Volk...

In this episode, I share the story of my recent journey toward earning my General HAM Radio License and how my experience in the Parks on the Air (POTA) program motivated me to fully commit to passing the exam. You'll hear about my study techniques, my unexpected weekend adventure with a seasoned HAM operator, and how it all culminated in acing the exam. Introduction: Recap of last week’s episode...

In this episode, I share how this podcast has had the unexpected benefit of reconnecting others who had previously been active in amateur radio but had lost their passion for it over time. In fact, this episode was inspired by a heartfelt Voxer message I received from my friend Marc Jeffrey ( 2E0MCJ ), who had been inactive in amateur radio for several years, but was inspired to dust off his equip...

  In this episode of Cliff's Notes on amateur radio, I share the story of my immediate buyer's remorse after receiving my assigned call sign. It all began on August 21, 2024, the day I received my amateur radio license. I was so excited that I could hardly sleep, waking up at 4 AM to check my email. To my surprise, the FCC had already issued my license at 3:24 AM that morning! When I saw my a...

Are you ready to get your Technician Amateur Radio License? In the United States, the Technician license exam consists of 35 questions drawn from a pool of 423. To pass, you need to score 74% or higher—that's 26 correct answers . In this podcast episode, I'll share the exact method and study course I used to score 100% on my Technician Amateur Radio Exam with less than 10 hours of total study time...

In this episode, I'm joined by my friend Deacon Bradley (N5JOV), a friend who has had his amateur radio license since 2020. Deacon shares his journey into amateur radio and why he chose the Yaesu FT-60 as his first radio. The conversation then shifts to the world of digital radio options such as Yaesu's Fusion, Icom's D-STAR, and the open DMR protocol.  Deacon also shares his personal experie...

In this episode, I share my unique journey of how I finally got serious about getting my amateur radio technician license. I've always been interested in radio, from my childhood experiences with Mr. Microphone and CB radio, to having a two-meter radio as a teenager. But I never took the step to get licensed seriously. That all changed during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in 2020. With my normal...

Hi! My name is Cliff Ravenscraft and in this introductory episode, I share my background and journey that has led me to amateur radio. Some key points: - I've had a lifelong fascination with radio and communication technology, starting from a young age with toys like Mr. Microphone and CB radios. - As a teenager, I briefly explored getting an amateur radio license but didn't follow through at the...